Pretty Woman
by ChasedByTheShadows
Summary: "I am here. I am yours. I am anything you want me to be. But I feel nothing." L/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Pretty Woman  
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**Chapter 1: Motions**

_L: Really, Kenzi, you're starting _another_ story? Didn't you promise us you'd finish Sweet Juliet and At the Beginning before you did that?_

_Me: What's that, L? You want me to make out with you? Done!_

_Light: What in the name of Kira is wrong with this girl?_

_L: Did you say something, Light?_

_Light: **nervous laugh** What's that, my dear sweet friend Ryuzaki? Of course not!_

_Me: Oh, you two shut up. And if you must know, I plan on updating both Sweet Juliet **and** At the Beginning tonight. Now, come, L. To the bedroom!_

Do not think...

Do not speak...

Do not feel.

The rules of life and, essentially, of survival for someone like me. I do what is commanded of me and I do it without question. I keep this smile plastered on my face, always. Always inviting, always warm, always alluring...

Those who see the colour and beauty of life, those who embrace it with all their hearts...they are ignorant. So wonderfully, blissfully naive. Life is naught but an endless series of motions to be completed. Thus is the essence of my existence.

"You are truly beautiful." His voice was soft, soothing...fake. Nothing is real to me any more. "Truly, truly beautiful..." He asked of me one of the many things men like him ask. I was able to read them so easily after all these years. "Will you...?"

"I'll do anything you want me too."

And so I did.

And I barely even noticed.

Over time, I learned to allow my mind to wander beyond my body. Unlike the rest of me, it was free to fly wherever it pleased, to find a place where it could feel the warmth of the sun and the elation of living that so eluded me.

I haven't always been like this. There was a time when my world and my future were bright.

But I should not be reminiscing and longing for my past. I have no power to retrieve what is so far gone that it has faded to the very back of my memory. I am here, now, with this man,

He had told me his name. Light Yagami. It was unnecessary information.

We would be done here soon anyway...

After he had been satisfied, I knew what he wanted. He was the kind of man who would want me to stay with him till the last minute, but as soon as our time was over, he would want me to be gone. So be it.

"What is your name?"

Not a common question, but I'd heard it before. "Whatever you want it to be, baby."

He laughed. It was just as fake as his voice. "Of course. But please, tell me."

"I am called Kiyomi."

"Do you have a family name?"

I'd never been asked that before. "Akita."

Light Yagami smiled. He was handsome, almost too much so, and appeared to be close to the same age as me. His expression was genial, but there was something else there. Something in his eyes that I couldn't quite place.

"Tell me, Kiyomi Akita, what is your opinion on Kira?"

Kira? He wanted to ask me about a serial killer? Strange, I hadn't pegged him as the violent type during the past hour.

"I hate him," I said calmly, in a matter-of-fact tone, hoping he would want me to answer honestly. "Anyone who takes another's life, despite the intention, is evil. I am a strong supporter of L."

Yagami rose and walked over to the desk on the other side of the room, bending over a notebook of some sort. "I see. Well, I believe our time here is just about up. You may leave now."

I prepared to go, donning my clothes, though scarce they were. Yagami did not look my direction once, scribbling something in his notebook. I chose not to speak as I went to the door to let myself out.

"You know," he said suddenly, "your opinion on Kira is quite a shame. He's going to be seen as a god someday."

I paused with my hand hovering an inch above the door knob. "Of course, sir."

He laughed quietly, yet gleefully, as though he knew something I didn't. I proceeded, but heard him speak one final time as I closed the door behind me.

"Farewell, Kiyomi Akita."

_So...not sure how well I like this. I tried to go for a simpler, yet effective word choice than my normal style. Anyway, I _LOVE _my idea for this story and where it's going, so please enjoy and review! _


	2. Chapter 2

**Pretty Woman**

**Chapter 2**

_(Sorry that took so long to update...oh well, it's here now :) Regardless, I'm setting DEADLINES for myself this week, people. I hereby pledge that I will have chapter twenty of Sweet Juliet done by tomorrow evening, which is Wednesday, September 28. I will have both chapters twelve and thirteen of At The Beginning completed by Thursday, September 29. Chapter three of Pretty Woman will be done by Friday afternoon, September 30. For now, enjoy chapter two of Pretty Woman. Review!)_

These streets are a dangerous place for many at this hour of the night. The fear of attack by lurking criminals and petty thugs is great, but I am not wary. When I walk near them they only raise their hands in a solemn greeting, and give perhaps a whistle or two. To them, I am one of them, a member of their downtrodden species.

The place where I would convene with the others was not hard to find, even for one who was unfamiliar with the city. We centered ourselves in the worst part of town. It was the ideal place to make a living in such ways that we did.

They were all there when I arrived that chilly evening, the night after my time with Light Yagami. There were six girls besides myself who shared this area. Amaya, the notorious thief—even to this day I do not know her real name—who was a fugitive from the law. Haruki, the tiniest woman I have ever seen, both in stature and size.

There was Angeline and Christelle, the twins from France who were disowned by their wealthy parents for refusing their betrothed. Mai, the youngest, a girl of only fifteen. And finally, dearest to my heart, Rika. She was the one who allowed me to join this circle of girls. She alone got me off of the streets, and she is my closest friend.

It was on that night, the cold nipping a bit at my nose and cheeks, that my life changed forever.

"Rika," I said as I approached her and our fellows. She turned to me, her beautiful black hair lifted gently by the wind.

"Kiyomi. Good, you're here."

"Yes. How are things looking tonight? Any good business?"

Rika shrugged. "Too soon to tell." No sooner had she spoken than a rusting, dark green car pulled up to the curb next to Angeline and Christelle. The exchange between the twins and the two men in the car was fairly standard. Dry flirting, the naming of a price, and then the twins were gone. We expected to see them return in just over an hour.

Soon, Mai had found a client, as well as Rika. The latter squeezed my hand quickly before she went, a silent promise we always made to return. Amaya, Haruki, and I spoke little more than a few words to one another, and eventually I could no longer stand in that same spot.

"I'm going to walk up the street," I said monotonously, knowing they would not care. My steps were slow, my walk rolling. I barely even noticed anymore. Such behaviors had become habit, necessary as they were.

So many people crowded the streets, a great number of them underdressed, so when I first saw the young man, I thought nothing of him. Perhaps it was the lack of shoes or the ratty blue jeans and t-shirt on such a chilled night, but he appeared to be nothing more than another poor man with nowhere to go except this most godforsaken of places. It was where all we who had no hope went.

But as we drew closer to each other in the crowd, I noticed that his gaze never left me. Perhaps it was my unusual appearance. My auburn hair stood out quite prominently in a sea of shining ebony. Perhaps it was my clothing, revealing even as I attempted to keep warm. In any case, I decided to talk to him. Maybe he had some money to spare for an hour with me.

I leaned against the wall, raising my hand to beckon him to me. For a fraction of a second, he looked confused, but he masked it almost immediately. He came to my side without a word.

"Hey there," I said in a low voice, flashing him my best smile, "you looking for a date?"

He blinked at me once, twice, his enormous dark eyes shining curiously, almost as if he was a child presented with a new and unusual toy. "I need...a way out."

I looked away disappointedly. I should have known he couldn't pay me. He didn't seem drunk, but I supposed by his statement that he was. "Yeah, we're all looking for that, buddy. I can't help you there." I started to walk away but he quickly stepped in front of me, blocking my path. I raised my eyebrows, slightly agitated.

"No," he said impatiently, as though it should have been obvious. "I meant that I need directions. I'm lost."

I sighed. Either he really was lost, or it was the same old trick quite a few men had used to get me back to their hotel rooms. As long as he paid, I didn't really care what he did. "Well why didn't you say so?" I asked, smiling again and stepping closer to him. "Where are you trying to get to?"

"The Peninsula in Tokyo."

My mouth dropped open. That was one of the most expensive joints in the city. There was no way a guy like this was staying there. Maybe he really _was _drunk.

"Right, sure."

He raised his eyebrows, obviously guessing my thoughts, and pulled a card out of the pocket of his jeans. It was a hotel room key. It bore the logo of the Peninsula, and looked legitimate. I looked back up at the strange man, biting my lip as I do when I'm thinking.

"All right, let's go then," I said sweetly. He seemed satisfied and trailed along as I lead the way to a place where I knew we could get a cab into Tokyo. If this man had enough money to stay at such an elite hotel, he could surely pay for a cab. He did.

As we sat in the back, I began to wonder more and more about him. Who _was_ he? I simply couldn't figure him out.

"What's your name?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound too forward.

"My name? My name...is Ryuzaki."


	3. Chapter 3

**Pretty Woman**

**Chapter 3**

_(A/N: Sorry guys, I know this chapter is like...three days late, but I had a crazy weekend. For real, it was insane :P But anyway, here's chapter three, so enjoy and review please!)_

When our cab reached the outskirts of the city, I was able to lead Ryuzaki to his hotel with relative ease, though the streets were crowded with hundreds of thousands of people.

The Peninsula was beyond any place I had ever seen in my nineteen years of life. It was angled slightly inward in the front, comprised of glass, shining tile, and sparkling lights, and looked to be several hundred feet tall. The dazzling structure left me standing in shock. I undoubtedly looked ridiculous with my jaw hanging slightly open and my eyes as wide as saucers. I'm surprised Ryuzaki didn't laugh at me.

Oh, God. This wasn't possible. There was no way a man who looked like that could be staying in _this_ hotel. It simply couldn't be.

I took a step away from him. "You're some kind of cop, aren't you? A man like you could never afford something like this. Look sir, I swear I'm just trying to make a living. Trying to feed myself, just like you." I dropped to my knees, right there in the street. "Please, I'll do anything if you let me go. I'll...I'll give you an hour free. No, two hours!"

He looked at me curiously, as though he had never seen anything quite like me before. "You think," he said slowly, like he wasn't sure if the words he was saying made sense, "that because of the way I am dressed, I cannot be just a plain, non-police officer, well-off. Is that a correct statement?"

I looked up at him, frightened. I just wanted to be back on my corner, catering to all of the normal thugs and drunks who usually wanted me. "I...I—don't know..."

"I am here in Japan on business, and I simply do not like to dress in anything other than my current attire. That is all."

I breathed a small sigh of relief, though I still wasn't quite certain I believed him. Rising to my feet once more, I slipped back into my normal facade, smiling at him apologetically and—I hoped—alluringly. I couldn't have little outbursts like that in the middle of a crowd like this. It would cost me on these streets.

"You know, I gave a rich man a _real_ good time last night. Five whole hours he bought. I hear people say all rich people know one another. Maybe you know him—Light Yagami."

Ryuzaki, who had by this point seemed to be losing interest in anything I was saying, suddenly snapped his head up and fixed an intense gaze on me. He was quick to recover and grabbed my arm roughly, as many men have done. "You need to come inside with me immediately."

I was confused, but I followed him without protest. Did just the mention of this other man's name, or the thought of my endeavours with someone he knows turn him on? Men are strange...

Ryuzaki's room was on the eleventh floor, and just the sight of its grand, unbelievable lavishness made me feel like some dirty creature. I didn't belong in a place like this, and it made me feel small...inferior. As most things did. It took every ounce of self-control I possessed to smile and act as though I wanted to be there. In reality, all I wanted to do was run far, far away.

All of a sudden, Ryuzaki was in front of me, mere inches away from my face. "You must listen to me very, very carefully. I am the head investigator in charge of the Kira case."

I jumped back in shock. "You said you weren't a cop!"

He raised his eyebrows. "I am not a police officer in the sense that concerns you. We must get back on point here. Time is of the essence. Please tell me your name."

"My name?" I asked agitatedly. "Fine...my name is Kiyomi Akita."

"Well, Miss Akita," he said solemnly, stepping away from me and pulling a cell phone out of his pocket. He held it between his thumb and index finger as though it disgusted him. "I regret to inform you that there is a very good chance that you...have slept with Kira."

_Sorry it's short, lovelies! I'm tired! _


	4. Chapter 4

**Pretty Woman**

**Chapter 4**

**(A/N: Helloooooo my dears :P I'm baaaaack! Actually, this is very surprising, because I wasn't planning on continuing this story for a while, but it's been weighing pretty heavily on my mind, and I just couldn't stay away! There's just something about being in an apartment right next to the ocean that gives me inspiration :P Anyway, love you all and please review!)**

Well damn it all, then.

Of course, it would be just like me to sleep with Kira...and then tell him that I _hated_ Kira. If not for the precautions I'd taken when I'd come to Japan, the bastard would have probably already killed me off with a heart attack.

Yes, I'd given him a fake name. Kiyomi Akita was the name I had gone by for the past four years and it would be the name I would continue to go by for the rest of my miserable life. There wasn't a single person alive who knew my true name—even Rika—and I planned on keeping it that way.

Ryuzaki didn't speak for a long time. Each second of silence that ticked by, I grew more uncomfortable. I still hated this place I was in. It was ornate and elegant, and everything about it screamed that anyone who stayed here was infinitely better than I could ever be. This man, with his raggedy clothes and even more ragged demeanor, even _he_ looked at me with a condescension in his dark eyes that could not be mistaken.

"Are you gonna say anything, or what?" I snapped suddenly. "So, I slept with Kira. I didn't know who he was. Turning tricks is what I do."

"Turning tricks?" His question sounded just the tiniest bit like a statement.

I smirked at him. Looks like Mr. Bigshot didn't know absolutely everything after all. Then again, why would he bother to know what turning tricks meant. That was for dirty, worthless nothings like me. "I screw people for money baby."

He blinked once, cocking one eyebrow half a millimeter, almost imperceptibly. "Of course. Miss Akita, I need to ask you some questions. Your help in this case would be greatly appreciated."

I stood, placing my hands on my hips. "You ain't paying me, I ain't staying. I'm outta here."

Faster than I could have imagined possible, Ryuzaki jumped up and blocked the door. "I'm afraid I can't let you leave."

"Like hell." I got right up in his face, but he didn't flinch. "Try and stop me."

"Answer my questions, Miss Akita, and I'll let you go without protest. I don't want to have to arrest you if I don't have to." It wasn't exactly a threat, but it was as good as one.

_Bastard's got me there._ "How the hell can I help anyway? I didn't interview the guy, I slept with him. There's a bit of a difference there." This Ryuzaki was on my nerves. He was such an annoying contradiction. He looked like he belonged in my world, the world of the destitute and and the damned, but he just _wasn't. _By some strange twist of fate, he was in the world that was filled with the wealthy and those who had a future. I hated him for it.

"Anything, the tiniest sentence he said to you, the smallest thing he may have done could be important."

The instincts I had picked up over the past few years nudged at the back of my mind and I half-smiled. "Oh you wanna know _exactly_ what he did? You're that type, huh? I could make you real happy, baby."

"Please don't play games with me, Miss Akita."

"Fine, ask your damn questions."

Ryuzaki returned to the sitting area, crouching on his feet and sticking the tip of his thumb between his teeth. He looked at me somewhat impatiently, nodding towards the seat across from him. I didn't bother asking why he was sitting so oddly. You don't ask questions when you live like me.

"Now then," he said when I was settled on the very edge of my chair, my muscles tensed, "when exactly did you make the acquaintance of Light Yagami?"

"Last night."

"How did he find you?"

I shrugged. "The same way they all do. He walked past my corner and kept staring at me. It took some persuasion, but I convinced him that I could show him one hell of a time. It worked pretty damn well, too. He bought five hours." I grinned. I could be _very_ persuasive when I wanted to be.

"And then?"

"Then? Well, I figured it'd be obvious. He paid for a hotel—fairly nice one too—and we got to it. He was fairly standard with what he wanted. It's easy to tell by now."

"By now? Exactly how long have you been...in this profession?" It was the first time in our conversation that I'd heard him hesitate, struggle for words. My eyes hardened.

"I'm not here to answer any personal questions."

The strange man didn't miss a beat. "Of course. We'll move on. Can you think of anything that Mr. Yagami asked you or said to you that may be important to me? Anything he did? The smallest piece of information is crucial here, Miss Akita. Please try to be thorough."

I thought for a moment. I usually tried to push my encounters with men from my mind. The less I thought about them, the better it was. If I spent my time reliving the very experiences that made me such a hopeless good-for-nothing, I'd go crazy.

I sighed. "I don't remember much. I try to let my mind go elsewhere while I'm...working. It makes for a little less self-loathing."

Ryuzaki just looked at me, his expression never faltering, but I could see something shift deep within his eyes. To someone less attuned to people than I, it would have gone unnoticed. That was the good thing about knowing a whole lot of everybody. You learned things that you otherwise wouldn't have. It was a small reward for a hefty price, though.

"Try to remember."

"He asked for my name...given name and family name. Most men don't bother to do that, so I thought it was a little unusual."

Apparently this was important to Ryuzaki, because he bit down on the tip of his thumb a little harder. "Very good. Anything else?"

"He asked me my opinion of Kira. He seemed like the kind of guy who'd want me to answer honestly, so I did."

"What makes you say that?"

I shrugged. "He asked for my name, and when I told him it was whatever he wanted it to be, he wanted the real answer. So I assumed he wouldn't want the real answer to everything."

"I see." Ryuzaki shifted a little bit. "And how did you respond to his question?"

I looked the strange man in the eyes, holding his gaze. It wasn't something I did often, but I found that it didn't make me uncomfortable. "Like I said, I told him the truth. I told him that I hate Kira, and am a supporter of L. He got real edgy after that."

"What do you mean?"

"He dismissed me pretty quickly and scribbled something in a notebook. Why is this stuff important?"

"I assure you, Miss Akita, you are being of much help here. Now, did Mr. Yagami say anything about Kira when you told him your opinion?"

I strained my memory. I really wanted to help, for some reason—to do something positive in my life for once, I suppose. I vaguely remembered Light Yagami saying something about Kira, but...I couldn't grab hold of it. I looked up at Ryuzaki, knowing he would be disappointed. That bothered me just the tiniest bit, for reasons I couldn't explain.

"I don't remember. I'm sorry."

Just as I suspected, he looked away in dissatisfaction. I fidgeted nervously, waiting for a reply. He didn't speak for several long, agonizing seconds. "Very well. I think that is all I need. You may leave, Miss Akita."

I stood up, looking the man over one more time. He didn't look much older than me, perhaps in his early twenties. I didn't know what to think of him. I despised and envied him, but I couldn't help wanting to assist him. I shook my head, unsettled by the confusion. I would be perfectly okay if I never saw this man again.

Right?

"Miss Akita?" he called as I made my way to the door.

"Yes?"

"Try to stay away from men like Light Yagami."

I grinned a little bit. "Occupational hazard." He said nothing more.

Just before I stepped outside the lavish hotel room, I turned back to him one more time. He hadn't moved from his perch on the chair, his thumb still between his teeth.

"Can I ask you a question before I go?"

He didn't glance my way. I almost wish he did. "I don't see why not."

"You said you're the head investigator in the Kira case. Does...does that mean you know L?"

Ryuzaki looked at me now, his dark eyes staring into my green ones. I hated how his dark orbs made my breath hitch just the tiniest bit.

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss that, Miss Akita."

"Of course you're not."

I turned to go again, but his voice stopped me. "I know that Kiyomi Akita is not your real name." He sounded as though he had not meant to speak, but he looked at me with certainty. I forced a smirk onto my face.

"Catch ya later, baby."

**(A/N: Another chapter of another story. I'm on a roll today! Well, sort of. Anyway, this is more writing that I've done in a while. This chappie is a bit longer than the others, so PLEASE shoot me a review! Thanks, and much love.)**

**ChasedByTheShadows (Kenzi)**


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